Rochester Century Baseball Cruises by Faribault

National Anthem at Mayo Field Rochester. Notice Something Missing? Photo by Gordy Kosfeld

The Faribault Falcons saw some significant improvement in the field Tuesday in Rochester but still lost to the Century Panthers 10-1 at Mayo Field. Falcon sophomore John Palmer started the game and Head Coach Charlie Lechtenberg was pleased with the way the young pitcher threw the ball. Palmer only issued one walk and hit a batter. He threw 66 pitches in his 3 innings of work 38 of them were strikes.

Palmer was 8 of 18 in first pitch strikes but when delving more into the numbers some of the crucial hits for Century off the Faribault pitcher came when he was ahead in the count. Number 3 hitter in the Panthers order senior Travis Rittenhouse hit a line drive two run home run just to the right of the scoreboard in right center field. About 360 feet away. The round tripper came on a 1-2 count.

Faribault coaches said they called for Palmer to throw a high outside corner fastball in the situation and he simply caught too much of the plate. The right handed hitting Rittenhouse hit a laser to right center to give his team a 2-0 lead in the first inning.

It was a 1-2 count in the second inning when Rochester Century senior Lucas Martins led the inning off with a single. He stole second and went to third on a wild pitch. Following a strikeout the number 8 and 9 batters in the Panthers order coaxed a walk and hit a 2 run double. Sophmore centerfielder Jaecan Fratzke of Century delivered the one out double on a 3-1 count.

The Panthers added two more runs in the third inning. With one out cleanup hitter Logan Milene hit a single to right field on a 0-1 count. Following a ground out for the second out Martins worked the count to 2-1 before a half swing punch single to center scored a run. Martins stole second base. Century first baseman Andrew Miller stroked a RBI single on a 3-1 count to give the Panthers a 6-0 lead after three innings.

The Falcons had one hit through the first 5 innings. Senior Mitch Nelson collected that hit in the first inning with two outs.

Junior Jake Dolter pitched the fourth inning for Faribault and gave up three runs on 3 hits. An error in left field proved costly in the inning. Dolter threw 27 pitches, 15 for strikes. There were 3 first pitch strikes to the 7 batters he faced.

Senior Dan Drevlow threw a scoreless fifth inning for Faribault and the only run he allowed in his two innings of work was not earned.

Drevlow was 2 of 10 first pitch strikes, allowing 3 hits over the two innings he threw with 29 total pitches, 14 for strikes.

The three Faribault pitchers combined to throw 122 pitches in 6 innings, gave up 14 hits and were 13 of 35 in first pitch strikes. They combined for two strikeouts and three walks.

The Falcons had 7 errors in a 18-0 five inning loss to Mankato East last week so the coaches were happy to see just two errors and two double plays turned in the game.

Faribault is now 0-4 and hosts Red Wing Thursday at 5:00 p.m. at Bell Field. They go to Wartburg College to play a doubleheader with Hutchinson Saturday.

Rochester Century is at Austin Thursday. Travels to Owatonna Monday, before a home game Tuesday against Northfield.

Our Faribault State Farm Insurance agents Faribault players of the game were seniors Drevlow and Nelson and sophomore catcher Jordan Nawrocki. Nawrocki had numerous blocks of pitches in the dirt during the game.

In other Big Nine baseball Mankato East remained unbeaten with a 8-3 win over Northfield in Mankato. Three Northfield pitchers allowed 8 walks to the Cougars. Mankato East also clubbed 11 hits.

The Raiders led 3 to 1 going into the bottom of the 4th inning when the Cougars erupted for 4 runs.